Needle bar for knitting machines



Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,876-

w. J. ALTHOUSE NEEDLE BAR FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 22, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 1 W. J. ALTHOUSE NEEDLE BAR FOR KNITTING MACHINES Jan. 31,1928. 1,657,876

Filed May 22. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmmz attozmmg Patented Jan. 31,1928.

UNITED, STATES WILMEB J. ALTHOUSE, or GIBRALTAR, PENNsYLvANIa.

I NEEDLE BAR FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed May 22, 1926. Serial N0. 110,883.

This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines and pertainsmore particularly to machines for knitting so-called flat fabrics, suchas full fashioned stockings.

The object of the present invention is to provide a needle bar on whichthe entire stocking may be knitted, thus overcoming the necessity ofremoving the stocking when the leg portion is completed and placing iton another machine, called a footer for knitting the foot portion.

To this end I have devised a needle bar made up of a plurality ofsections, with suitable mechanism for moving one or more sections withrelation to the other sections,

. whereby the leg portion is first made, then the heel portion, andlater the foot portion.

The invention is more fully described in the following specification andclearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved needle bar, showing the relativepositions of the difierent sections, .while knitting the leg portion-thedotted position of the centre section showing in the position at the endof its movement.

Figure 2 is a front or elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a plan view showing the needle bar in the position itassumes after the heel portion has been knitted and while knitting thefoot portion.

Figure 4 is a side view of Figure 2.

The needle bar is made up of five sections, comprising a central Section1, two end sections 2 and two auxiliary sections 3- The sections 3 lienormally below the line of the other two sections 2 and the centralsection 1.

The central section is provided with a screw 5 for drawing it forwardwith relation to the end sections 2, and this screw is ro-- tatedthrough any ordinary medium, as the bevel gear 6, driven from anyoperating portion of the machine.

The end sections 2 are each slidable on a locking rod 8 and this rodpasses through said sections and entersthe central section, to the endthat when they are alined for knitting, as shown in Figure 1 they areheld in proper alinement. The en sections eacli have a pull bar 10attached thereto, so that they may be drawn laterally away from thecentral section 1. 1

The numeral 3 designates the two auxillary bar members, and thesemembers, as stated, lie normally below the horizontal line of the normalupper position of the needle bar.

These members 3 are each provided with elevating means in the form of adepending rod 14 and a cam 15, connected in any suitable manner with oneof thereciprocatin operative members of the machine on whic it is used,so that the movement of the cams will raise the auxiliary members intoknitting position, that is, in line with the other members 1 and 2.

These auxiliary members 3 are also adapted to be turned to a position atright angles to their normal position, as shown in Figure 1, and thismechanism consists of a sleeve 20 on which is a lug 21, connectedthrough a bar 22 to a crank arm 24, which latter is actuated by ahorizontally movable rod 26, which latter is also operated through anysuitable movable portion of the machine, and, like the other movement ofthese members 3, timed to be raised when the central section 1 is at thefull forward position.

Starting with the needle bar as shown in Figure 1, the leg of thestocking is knitted and when the heel portion is about to be begun, thecentral member 1 of the needle bar will have attained the position shownin" dotted lines, Figure 1. At this point the auxiliary members 3 areraised, through the mechanism described for the purpose, and they willknit the two small sections that go to make u theheel. When this has eencomplete the end members 2 of the needle bar, will be drawn away fromtheir normal positions, through the action of the bars 10, and, at thesame time, the rod 26 will actuate the crank arm 24 and bar 22 to turnthe auxiliary members 3 and place them in alinement with the members 1and 2, as shown in Figure 3.

From this point, the knitting will proceed and'the remaining portion ofthe foot will be knitted.

When the stocking is com leted, the movements abovedescribed willreversed, and the relative parts of the needle bar returned to thestarting positions, as disclosed in Figure 1'.

As in all machines of this character, the yarn is of course fed to theneedles by a carrier bar having an arm with three eyes through which theyarn passes, one to each of the three banks.

In the present structure, the yarns to banks 1 and 2 are fed until thedesired length is knitted, when the bar 8 is actuated to unlock thebanks 1 and 2, while the bar 26 will actuate the screw 5, and the banks2 will knit the heel. At this time the bank 1 is being drawn away fromthe machines knitting line. When the desired length has been thusknitted, the members 1514 are actuated to raise the banks 3 through thefabric, which is the inside of the heel. The machine then makes anotherturn and the fabric is released from the banks 2 and the bar 10 entersinto play to draw the banks 2 into horizontal position, to right andleft of their former positions. During the turning of the machine, thebar 10 separates the banks 2 to the right and left, to make room for thebanks 3 which are turned in an arcuate movement through the parts 21,22, 24 and 26, and the screw 5 will bring the banks 1 and 3 forward toline up in a straight knitting position.

The next turn brings the members 8 together to lock the banks 1 and 3together and the machine continues to knit the foot on the leg of thestocking until the said foot length has attained proper size at whichtime the carrier bar puts in the toe yarn and the machine continues toknit and finish the stocking on the banks 1 and 3, at which point themachine releases the finished fabric product.

At this point, the one turn of the machine draws the bars 8 apart. Onthe second turn, the members 21, 22, 24. and 26 actuate to release andreturn the banks 3 to their former or non-knitting position. The nextturn actuates the bar 10 to bring the banks 2 into alinement with bank 1and the bar 8 on each side is brought toward the opposing bar 8 to lockthe banks 1 and 2 together, and the machine is ready to start knittinganother stocking. At this time also, the cam permits the member 14 todrop and bring the bank 3 down out of the way of the knitting to bedone.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire toclaim is 1. A needle bar for knitting machines comprising a plurality ofsections, one of which is movable forward with relation to the othersections, two of which are movable laterally and two of which aremounted for vertical and a limited arcuate movement and it ll adapted toknit along the same straight 2. A needle bar for knitting fiat fabriccomprising a central section, two end sections and two auxiliarysections, all adapted to knit along the same straight line, said centralsection being movable forward and back with relation to the endsections, the end sections being movable laterally with relation to thecentral section and the auxiliary sections being movable vertically withrelation to the central and end sections.

3. A needle bar for knitting flat fabric comprising a central section,two end sections and two auxilliary sections, all adapted to knit alongthe same straight line, means for drawing the central section forwardwith relation to the end sections and means for moving the end sectionslaterally with relation to the central section and means for raising theauxiliary sections into horizontal alinement with the end sections andmoving them into knitting position and alinement with the end andcentral sections.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILMER J. ALTHOUSE.

